BC Lions Thread

[jerrym]

Richie Leone looks like he's continuing from where he left off last year, beating his last year's league leading 49.0 punting average with a 51.0 yard average and going 4/4 on FGs.

For someone who arrived back in his training camp dorm at 2:30 a.m., caught some winks, showered and shaved and went to church, all before noon, Richie Leone was turned out as well as any B.C. Lion on Sunday.
“I’m just the kicker. I didn’t have to do much. I’m not that tired, right?” explained Leone. “I mean, I’m not tired, other than the fact we got to bed at 4 a.m.”
In spite of his humility, the second-year punter/kicker has never looked more valuable to his team. He booted four field goals and punted seven times for a whopping average of 51.0 yards Saturday night in a 28-16 Canadian Football League pre-season victory against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
There are other areas of the Lions operation which still need to find much polish, synchronicity and competence before this becomes a complete football team. But the kicking game isn’t one of them. Leone, his new holder, Travis Lulay, and long snapper Mike Benson look to be in midseason form.
“We settled in after the first two or three days of camp,” Benson explained. “Richie is always a calm, collected guy. He was that way last year, too. But this is his second training camp. He’s feeling better about himself. He’s used to me as his snapper. He’s used to kicking up in Canada. It’s a lot easier the second time around.”
Kicking in Canadian football comes with its many quirks — climactic, atmospheric and just plain bizarre. While Leone was lights out in Regina, so was the power. A more than one hour blackout — resulting from an errant confetti cannon that disrupted power lines — delayed the start of the second half and had the Lions winging home on their charter flight at an ungodly hour. But lack of sleep was the least of Wally Buono’s concerns.
“It may have been a dress rehearsal, but there shouldn’t have been as many mistakes as there were,” explained the head coach. “To have nine penalties on offence? That’s ridiculous. We need to fix that. There are a lot of things we need to improve on. But our special teams were spectacular … Richie’s punting, his four field goals. That part of our special teams play was outstanding. I believe we won the game on defence and on special teams.”
Leone, a three-time Ray Guy Award semi-finalist at the University of Houston, is turning the notion that the punter is the least appreciated man in the game on its head. His majestic, soaring punts can leave one spellbound. And he’s a difference maker, leaving observers of the game wondering if he’s just as valuable as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker or punishing power back.
Tall, long-limbed and limber — like Guy, the greatest punter ever — Leone was named to the All-CFL team in his rookie season last year. He flirted with the league record average of 50.6 yards, held by former Winnipeg punter Jon Ryan, now with the Seattle Seahawks.
This year, Leone’s goal isn’t necessarily to reel in Ryan. The 24-year-old Georgia native averaged a league-best 49.0 yards in 2015.

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/bc...955/story.html

[jerrym]

Lavelle Hawkins retirement has left the Lions looking for a top-of-the-line receiver who has soft hands and stretch the field.

http://www.pressreader.com/canada/th...82140700658710

[jerrym]

J C Coleman played well in BC's win on the weekend.

Though the NFL bias against the vertically challenged is shrinking — think Darren Sproles, Jacquizz Rodgers, Frank Gore — the league is still short on outside-the-box thinking when it comes to short people.
Undrafted, the 5-6, 190-pound Coleman was signed by the Lions after the team’s director of American scouting, Ryan Rigmaiden, saw him work out at Virginia Tech’s Pro Day. Coleman’s agility and 40 speed (4.48) were enough to convince Rigmaiden that J.C. might be a fit in the Canadian Football League, where playmaking and special qualities are not the exclusive domain of six-footers.
“He showed some nice runs, a nice burst late in the game,” said head coach Wally Buono, referring to Saturday’s 28-16 pre-season road win against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. “But he’s been showing that to us since the start of rookie camp. You never know how these guys are going to adapt. What we have to do is spend some more time with him to see his value as a returner.”
Playing only the fourth quarter against the Roughriders, Coleman had seven carries, but two of his runs were for 10 yards, as he burst through holes in the blink of an eye. His diminutive stature and quickness invite comparisons with two small running backs/returners with big hearts who’ve suited up for the Lions in recent years — Stefan Logan and Yonus Davis.
“Compare him to Yonus Davis. Don’t compare him with Stefan Logan, please,” Buono said. “Stefan was a cut above. Not that Coleman can’t be. But he’s like Yonus. He came with little fanfare. But you saw his quickness and real explosion. And you see that with Coleman, too.”
Coleman notes the CFL delivers the message that size isn’t everything, and small can be beautiful — even an advantage.
“Smaller guys have to figure out a way to be special,” he says. “Game-breaking speed. Catching ability or just being tough. I pride myself on all three.”

http://www.canada.com/sports/footbal...029/story.html

[jerrym]

"It's a different game but I am enjoying every minute of it."@jc_coleman4 on his CFL debut and life at camp. 🏈 🦁https://t.co/AhUN8FHtnr

— BC Lions (@BCLions) June 14, 2016

[jerrym]

QB Jennings comments on the weekend game and how it affects the rest of TC.

"We're still working on some of our execution."@JJ_Jennings10 on the goals for remainder of Kamloops. 🏈 🦁https://t.co/UGMhyjsvJT

— BC Lions (@BCLions) June 13, 2016

[jerrym]

Day 16 of TC:

WHO STOOD OUT:
The best catch of the night went to Stephen Adekolu who hauled in a pass in tight coverage during two-on-two drills. Jeremiah Johnson was once again a force in the backfield while Anthony Allen returned to action after sitting out the last few days with a knee injury. The left side of the offensive line led by Jovan Olafioyeand Hunter Steward did a nice job creating running room for the backs.
On defence, Solomon Elimimian had plenty of jump after resting Friday and Saturday. Adam Bighill was speedy on his blitzes as well. TJ Lee made a couple of nice plays, including an interception during team drills and a knockdown in the end zone. He continues to be one of the more consistent defenders in camp. Alex Bazzie and David Menard were both forces on the defensive line.

http://www.bclions.com/2016/06/13/we...report-day-16/

[DanoT]

J C Coleman played well in BC's win on the weekend.


http://www.canada.com/sports/footbal...029/story.html

What i like about Coleman is that he only 5'6", which is short, but he weighs 190lbs which is not small.

[jerrym]

As Brandon Stewart heads into his career's last stage after 10 years in the league, he is fired up to win the Grey Cup, something that has eluded him despite two appearances in the game.

http://www.bclions.com/2016/06/14/st...-to-secondary/

[jerrym]

First round draftee OL Vaillancourt is quickly impressing the rest of the team.

What is noticeable about Vaillancourt is that the first-year player from Laval — the fifth overall pick in the 2015 Canadian Football League draft — is rapidly progressing up the depth chart.
Football graduates from Laval are said to be “pro-ready” — given that the program operates as close to the NCAA major school model as any in CIS sports. Wealthy alumni and benefactors, training camps in Florida, superb coaching from men such as Carl Brennan, the offensive line coach with the Rouge et Or, conspire to make the jump from college to pro less of a prodigious leap that it might be.
“Totally,” agrees Lions head coach Wally Buono. “When you look at the last two, three years, they (Laval) have had six, seven first-round picks, off that one group. That speaks volumes for the athlete, the program and definitely the coaching.”

As training camp winds down — the Lions break camp Wednesday after three weeks in Kamloops — Buono says Vaillancourt is “seriously in the mix.” He’s not just talking about making the team. Buono is sending a message that the 23-year-old native of Coaticook, Que., has a chance to start at right guard.
A motivational ploy? Or, is the head coach as serious as he seems to be? Time will well.

http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...-training-camp

[jerrym]

Buono is not the winningest coach in CFL history by accident, as he has shown this year with his rebuild of the Lions He continues to adapt as the players and game changes.

Once entrenched in the ways that made him successful, the controlling coach of the 1990s now incorporates hip-hop music into warm-ups before B.C. Lions’ practices — practices that never seem to go as long as the stated hours. His cast-iron approach has turned malleable in the belief that reaching a different generation requires a change in philosophy.
“It’s a long season,” Buono said in the afterglow of Friday’s 38-27 win over the Montreal Alouettes.
“As much as I used to work my players hard, I don’t do that anymore. You’ve got to keep them fresh. Otherwise, it catches up to you. Believe me, I know.”
Buono cancelled a scheduled rundown for his players on Saturday, allowing them a full seven days away before they reconvene for practice at the end of a bye week on Sept. 17. Then, after one light practice, the Lions are scheduled to get another one-day break before resuming their regular routine in preparation for a Friday, Sept. 23 game in Edmonton.

http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...-players-fresh

[jerrym]

Buono has a big hole or two to fill if Elimimian and/or Bighill leave as free agents.

Lions general manager/coach Wally Buono was asked Friday if he was worried that Elimimian, the 2016 CFL most outstanding defensive player, is a pending free agent and his linebacking cohort, Adam Bighill, had just entered a limited window to look at NFL interest for next season.
“No. Not really. They both want to be here,” said Buono. “This is not because they want to go somewhere else in the CFL.
“This is part of the new CFL. This is part of the new sports landscape. It’s everywhere. They have to do what they’re doing.”
CFL free agency opens on Feb. 14. Buono said that he plans to sit down in the near future with Elimimian, 30, and “try to get this resolved.” ...

Bighill, 28, meanwhile, has until Jan. 27 to sign a deal with an NFL team or his rights revert to the Lions through the 2018 season, according to a club press release. Oddly enough, the last time the Lions announced a Bighill contract extension was February 2015, and they listed him then as signed through the 2017 campaign. That means this Bighill NFL news doubles as a contract re-signing news as well. ...

Bighill told TSN 1040 Friday afternoon that he was already receiving “some interest,” from NFL teams, although he didn’t name specific clubs.
“For whatever reason, my opportunity came at this point in time and I have to make the most of it,” Bighill told TSN 1040. “I have a one-month window to explore interest. Who knows how much is out there? I am extremely happy to come back and play in Vancouver if nothing works out.”
Size is the main factor playing against Bighill, a Central Washington University product who checks in at 5-foot-10 and 230 pounds. Thirty-eight linebackers went to the 2016 NFL scouting combine and only two of them fell below 6-foot, 240 pounds. ...
Elimimian (129) and Bighill (108) finished first and third, respectively, in the CFL in tackles this season.

http://theprovince.com/sports/football/cfl/bc-lions/end-of-team-100-b-c-lions-might-lose-elimimian-bighill

[ArgoRavi]

Both size and age would work against Bighill landing any meaningful employment in the NFL.

[AngeloV]

Both size and age would work against Bighill landing any meaningful employment in the NFL.

A special teams job would at least triple what he makes now, so you can't blame him for taking the chance.

[KCargosfan]

A special teams job would at least triple what he makes now, so you can't blame him for taking the chance.

No doubt. He has nothing to lose, even if he goes to camp and gets cut. He'll have a high-paying gig in the CFL waiting for him. League minimum for the NFL next year is $465K, so why not roll the dice?

[jerrym]

While Wally faces some challenges with free agents, he always seems to come through in the end.

It’s construction season in the CFL and every team’s got work to do. Yet if the season started today, the BC Lions wouldn’t be in such bad shape.
The Lions, like every other team, face some questions a month after being eliminated in a one-sided Western Final loss to the Calgary Stampeders.
Will the face of the franchise in Solomon Elimimian be back? Who will fill the void of Bryan Burnham should he sign an NFL deal? And what might the Lions’ defence look like without Alex Bazzie coming off the edge?
Yes, free agency threatens to pluck some of Head Coach and General Manager Wally Buono’s top players from his roster. But when push comes to shove, as it pertains to their off-season to-do list, the BC Lions have it pretty easy.
It starts with their top defensive player, No. 56.
“All the free agents, we’ve sat down and talked to them,” Buono told BCLions.com. “Solomon, like every other free agent, he’s going to have to make a choice on what he wants to do.” ...

The Lions will have to make a choice too. In one of the most impressive comeback seasons in CFL history, Elimimian defied the odds when he came back from what is often a career-limiting injury – the ruptured Achilles – to lead the CFL with 129 tackles and capture the honour for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
On the other hand, Elimimian is coming off the most productive season of his career at age 30. While he deserves to get paid, any significant deal is a risk for the Lions given age and injury history. ...

Burnham should be next on the Lions’ off-season wish list after ranking fourth in the CFL with 1,392 receiving yards, forming one of the league’s top receiving tandems with Emmanuel Arceneaux. Burnham had just turned 24 when he first joined the Lions, who have patiently watched the skilled 6-foot-2 pass-catcher become a premiere talent.

Finally, for a team that stands to lose Elimimian along with Adam Bighill, who was released earlier this month for a chance to try out in the NFL, losing 26-year-old Alex Bazzie would also sting. Bazzie led the Lions with 11 sacks over 18 games, helping BC tie for the league lead in that department.
There’s still a bright side however and it’s pretty good news for Lions fans.
Jonathon Jennings will return for his second full season as the team’s starting quarterback hoping to take another step forward, while team recently announced a two-year contract extension for Jeremiah Johnson, who powered the league’s top rushing attack. ...

Most importantly, Buono has announced that the Lions’ entire coaching staff will be back.

http://www.cfl.ca/2016/12/17/lions-o...on-progresses/

[jerrym]

Lions have resigned Nationals long snapper Mike Benson and LB Nehemie Kankolongo.

The BC Lions have solidified their Canadian depth for the 2017 season, agreeing to contract extensions with Mike Benson and Nehemie Kankolongo, the team announced Monday.
Benson, the long-snapper, is signed up through the 2017 season while another special teams ace in Kankolongo has agreed to a two-year deal.
Both were due to become free agents on Feb. 14.
“Mike has given us everything you can ask for as our long-snapper over the past few years and it’s good to have him returning next season,” said GM and Head Coach Wally Buono. “Often times we don’t appreciate the consistency needed to perform that duty on special teams, but much of our success in that area starts with him.”

http://www.cfl.ca/2016/12/19/lions-e...on-kankolongo/

[R.J]

.@NEWS1130Sports reports #BCLions deal with LB Solomon Elimimian is a 2 year deal worth $225K per season. #CFL #bettercallsol

— CFL News (@CFL_News) December 21, 2016

[jerrym]

Solomon sees 2016 as his most successful year considering what he was coming back from.

Solomon Elimimian is carving out quite a CFL niche for himself.
The seven-year linebacker is the only player in league history to win three different major awards, and in 2014 he became the first — and only — pure defensive performer to be named the CFL’s outstanding player.
But for Elimimian, the greatest sign of success is championships and for the next two years he’ll help the B.C. Lions pursue a Grey Cup title.
Elimimian, 30, agreed Wednesday to a contract extension that will keep him with B.C. through the 2018 season.

“When you’re young you don’t realize how significant Grey Cups are and how hard they are to win,” Elimimian said. “I was fortunate to win one (in 2011) in my second year and it was the greatest accomplishment I’ve ever had because as a team you set out to do one thing and you don’t want to let your brothers down. ...

“But you realize how hard it is, we haven’t been back since. It’s about guys understanding that when you have an opportunity you’ve got to take hold of it because tomorrow isn’t promised and the worst thing you ever want to say is, ’I could’ve,’ because that will haunt you.”
The six-foot, 227-pound Elimimian immediately made a name for himself in the CFL, earning the league’s top rookie award in 2010. He made league history four years later with the MOP honour — along with being named outstanding defensive player after recording a record 143 tackles.
But the three-time CFL all-star said the 2016 season was his most satisfying. Elimimian posted a league-best 129 tackles, eight sacks, one interception and one forced fumble to earn his second top defensive player honour coming off a career-threatening Achilles injury in 2015.
“I think so just because of how hard it was for me to come back,” he said. “I grew so much as a person because adversity has a funny way of making you step outside your comfort zone and make a decision and commit to it.
“I think last year was one that transcended football and my accomplishments because when I look back 20, 30 years from now, this will be something I went through and overcame that helped me grow as a person.”

http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...ew-deal-source

[1971GreyCup]

Kudos to Wally Buono for paying up for a star player and Solomon for staying put in BC. The revolving door for players in the CFL where talented players move around frequently diminishes the fan experience. Too many favourites don't hang around long enough.

[jerrym]

Kudos to Wally Buono for paying up for a star player and Solomon for staying put in BC. The revolving door for players in the CFL where talented players move around frequently diminishes the fan experience. Too many favourites don't hang around long enough.

And no team seems to have more of a revolving door than the Argos.